Oriental Rug Cleaning and Moths

Many people think that if they own an oriental rug, they need to pamper it like a baby or an expensive luxury car. But this is just not the case. Oriental rugs have earned their reputation for being tough because of their sheer endurance. When they get dirty, call your Oriental rug cleaning company. When they suffer damage, call your Oriental rug repair company.

The dyes used in Oriental rugs resist fading and their wool is full of natural oils that keep permanent stains at bay. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take precautions to ensure your rugs look in tip top shape. Here are a few things to look out for.

Moths

Moths are one of the major enemies of Oriental rugs. The moths that do the most damage are small and hardly even noticeable until it is too late. These are the very same moths that raid kitchen pantries and the wool clothes in your closet.

The moths do their worst damage when in the larval stage when they look like cute little maggots. These little creatures love wool and will eat right through it, leaving a trail of web-like material behind. They can do an incredible amount of damage to your rug in a short period of time.

Here are some things to consider. Moths like to be undisturbed, so it is less likely they will infest a rug that is used often. So a rug that is walked on and frequently vacuumed it at little risk. They also prefer dark places so keep your rug in a bright room.

Sunlight

We did mention early on that Oriental rugs resist fading, but this does not mean you should place yours in direct, prolonged sunlight. Sunlight beaming through a window directly on a rug will eventually cause fading. And while some rugs are more susceptible to fading than others, there is really no way of finding out until it is too late.

Now, there is a difference between a rug being in direct sunlight and rug being in a sunny room. It is best that in either situation, you carefully monitor your rug for fading.

Mildew

When your rug gets wet and stays wet for too long, it will become mildewed. A classic example is when a potted plant is placed on a rug. No matter how careful you are, no matter what precautions you take to ensure water does not get on the rug, it will happen anyway.

Another situation is when your Oriental rug is poorly stored. For example, you could store your rug in the garage and it gets wet for some reason and is then ruined.

But don’t fret too much, even a rug that suffers an overflowing toilet disaster can be dried and cleaned. Just keep plants away from your rug and store it properly.

By watching out for these problems, you can ensure your Oriental rug lasts a long time and maintains it bright and beautiful look.

A thicker pile isn’t always better.

Don’t equate thick pile with quality. Some of the highest quality rugs you’ll see will be quite thin. The key is understanding what kind of rug should go where. For instance, an expensive, thin-pile rug will suffer in a high-traffic area. Get a rug with some thick toughness if it’s going to need to stand up to consistent wear and tear.

Understand pile height.

If you aren’t sure which pile height is which, here is a helpful guide:

Low: less than ¼”

Medium: ¼” to ½”

Long/Plush: ½” to ¾”

Some shag piles go even longer than this, but we hope this guide helps you feel a bit more familiar with the concept of pile.

A shorter pile is a stronger pile.

A rug with shorter pile will last longer than a rug with long pile. Why? Because short pile is both easier to vacuum and less susceptible to damage.

Furniture will have an impact on the pile.

The longer the pile of your rug, the more vulnerable it is to being crushed by the feet and bases of furniture. All furniture generally leaves some sort of indentation on carpeting, but if you have a rug you treasure for softness, you might want to keep it out from under your furniture.

Long pile rugs must be cleaned with care.

Your vacuum can catch the pile on shag and long-pile rugs, causing damage. Be careful when you clean your rugs (better yet, let us do it).